Box Score LA JOLLA – The Lumberjacks were unable to sustain a strong early charge against the 12^th-ranked host Tritons on the volleyball court Friday night.
 
Humboldt State held tough down by just two, 16-14, only to see UC San Diego score the next five points on the way to taking the first set, 25-21.
 
Leading 11-9, the nationally-ranked Tritons (21-3/13-3 California Collegiate Athletic Association) gained the next two points off Jacks' (10-14/5-12 CCAA) attack errors, before working the margin to eight and the eventual 25-16 final.
 
UC San Diego finished off the match after intermission in rather dominating fashion by a 25-8 total for the 3-0 straight set tally.
 
"We came out tonight and played well in the first set.  We felt really good after set one and only needed to make a few adjustments," explained HSU head coach Kelly Wood.  "After the first (set), everything began falling apart for us and in the third we were terrible."
 
HSU amassed a season-low total of 28 kills on the night.
 
Ashley Owen and Symone Hayden accounted for eight kills apiece.  Owen added three digs, an assist and one solo block with Hayden hitting .300 with six digs.
 
Kaitlyn Dunaway dug 10 balls with three kills, an assist and an ace.  Alex Hasenstab hit a team-high .333 with four kills, while Courtney Debrunner chipped in three kills and a dig.
 
Defensively, Kelci Renshaw paced the way with 15 digs.  Colleen Noonan and Danielle Carlson had three and one, respectively.
 
Sam Siebert handed out 17 assists, while having two kills and three digs.  Erin Mitchell came off the bench with three assists to go with a pair of aces and digs.
 
"It only get tougher tomorrow when we head to San Bernardino to face the first place team in the conference," noted Wood.  "We need to understand that the pressure is not on us and just play loose and play at the level we are capable of (playing)."
 
HSU will make the journey up to San Bernardino to face the CCAA-leading Coyotes starting at 7 p.m.